For Immediate Release
September 27, 2015
New York, NY – The second-annual Rolex Central Park Horse Show wrapped with a day of equestrian demonstrations and family-friendly fun on Sunday. Number-one dressage rider in the world Charlotte Dujardin took to Wollman Rink aboard Evi Strasser’s Renaissance Tyme, along with Olympian and United States Dressage Federation Hall of Fame Member Robert Dover for a Master’s Class, presented by The Chronicle of the Horse and Breyer.
Dujardin guided spectators and viewers tuning in via live stream through her process of warming up, schooling and cooling down her horses with commentary from herself and Dover.
Charlotte Dujardin, aboard Renaissance Tyme, and Robert Dover during Sunday’s Master’s Class, presented by The Chronicle of the Horse, and Breyer. Photo by Josh Walker for The Chronicle of the Horse
Dujardin had only sat on Renaissance Tyme, a 12-year-old German-bred Oldenburg gelding, twice before Sunday’s exhibition, including a performance in Saturday night’s U.S. Open $75,000 Dressage Freestyle, presented by Axel Johnson Group, at the Rolex Central Park Horse Show.
“I hope you all can appreciate after two times riding this horse Charlotte is able to get on and beautifully show this animal how she works,” said Dover. “The training is so secure that the end result is what you see with Valegro and the other horses she rides.”
According to Dujardin, when riding someone else’s horse, keying into how that rider rides is the hardest part. While continuing to learn more about Renaissance Tyme, she demonstrated Grand Prix movements and shared her philosophies on the development of each gait, transitions and more. “What you see as the end result in dressage is years and years of training,” she said. “It’s a bit like gymnastics with a horse.”
While Dujardin boasts Olympic, FEI World Equestrian Games and European Championship gold medals to her credit, her message to spectators was focused on the well-being of her horse, as well as establishing a solid foundation for success.
“It’s like building a house; if you have a bad foundation, you’ll have a bad house. If you have bad basics on a horse, you’re going to run into problems,” she said. “It’s so important that these horses enjoy every day of their work. I hack my horses on the road, they all go outside and have a normal life, even Valegro. We don’t wrap them up in cotton wool.”
United States Pony Club Mounted Games
Photo by Meg Banks for Equestrian Sport Productions
Preceding Dujardin’s Master’s Class, horse-sport fans of New York City and beyond were welcomed into Central Park for admission-free demonstrations, including a versatility exhibition of the Arabian Horse, United States Pony Club mounted games, a show jumping clinic with Candice King, and the Land Rover Mini-Car Driving Experience.
Land Rover Mini-Car Driving ExperiencePhoto by Meg Banks for Equestrian Sport Productions
The Rolex Central Park Horse Show concluded Sunday, September 27, but the excitement isn’t over yet. Coverage of Friday night’s $212,000 U.S. Open CSI 3* Grand Prix, presented by Rolex, will air tonight, Sunday, September 27, 2015, on NBC Sports Network from 9:00 – 10:30 p.m. EST. Show managers are already making plans for the return of the Rolex Central Park Horse Show in 2016 with more competition showcasing varying disciplines of horse sport in the heart of New York City’s iconic Central Park.
About Rolex
Leading brand of the Swiss watch industry, Rolex, headquartered in Geneva, enjoys an unrivalled reputation for quality and expertise the world over. Its Oyster watches, all certified as chronometers for their precision, are symbols of excellence, performance and prestige. Pioneer in the development of the wristwatch as early as 1905, the brand is at the origin of numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism introduced in 1931. Rolex has registered over 400 patents in the course of its history. A truly integrated and independent manufacturing company, Rolex designs, develops and produces in-house all the essential components of its watches, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Rolex is also actively involved in supporting the arts, sports, exploration, the spirit of enterprise, and the environment through a broad palette of sponsoring activities as well as philanthropic programmes.
About The Chronicle of the Horse
The Chronicle of the Horse published its first edition in 1937 and remains the industry leader in providing news coverage of national and international sport horse competitions. Through our complete magazine and web coverage we offer everything from competition results to compelling features and thought-provoking commentary. The new Chronicle Digital Network launched in the fall of 2009 with an interactive web site, enhanced video and photo galleries, RSS feeds, integrated community, blogs and other useful tools. The Chronicle of the Horse is the heart and soul of the sport horse community and an information hub for those who desire to live the active equestrian lifestyle. Visit The Chronicle of the Horse at www.coth.com.
About Breyer Animal Creations®
For horse-crazy girls, there are only two kinds of horses: real horses and Breyer model horses. The iconic Breyer brand, a division of Reeves International, was founded in 1950, and is the leader in creating the world’s most authentic and realistic model horses for play and collecting. These hand-painted, collectable model horses and animals have a worldwide following, thanks to the incredible sculptures that form the foundation of the line. Today, Breyer has expanded its play lines to include play sets, craft activities and horsey accessories for its younger fans and its collector lines to include resins, crystal and porcelain. To see the complete line of Breyer horses, and to learn more about Breyer events and the model horse hobby, visit us at BreyerHorses.com!
About Rolex Central Park Horse Show
Launched in September 2014, Rolex Central Park Horse Show is the first-ever outdoor, multi-day equestrian sporting event in New York City, showcasing some of the best show jumpers and dressage riders in the world as they vie for top prizes against a backdrop of skyscrapers in one of the world’s most iconic venues. As the event founder, Mark Bellissimo is the CEO of Equestrian Sport Productions and International Equestrian Group LLC; Managing Partner of Wellington Equestrian Partners (WEF), Tryon Equestrian Partners and Colorado Equestrian Partners; and Publisher of The Chronicle of The Horse magazine. In its second year, Rolex Central Park Horse Show will make its triumphant return from September 23 to 27, 2015 and will feature five days of multi-discipline equestrian sport and performances, ranging from Arabians and Dressage to Hunters and Show Jumping. The Rolex Central Park Horse Show will also host the inaugural U.S. Open in the following categories: Jumpers; Dressage; Hunters; U25 Jumpers; and Arabians. For more information, visit www.centralparkhorseshow.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CPhorseshow and follow @cphorseshow on Twitter and Instagram.